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Writing in the Telegraph ahead of a trip to Silicon Valley to speak with tech leaders, the government minister said "so called" end-to-end encryption is a problem as officials can't access the content of messages sent via platforms using the mathematical method. These include Facebook-owned WhatsApp, which has more than one billion daily users.

She says it is "true in theory" that end-to-end encryption stops content of messages being accessed, but "the reality is different".

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In a separate interview with the BBC, Rudd expanded on what she is discussing with technology firms. She said she wants more metadata – the who, what, how, and when – of encrypted messages to be handed to law enforcement officials. Metadata can be highly revealing about a person and their activities.

"We want [technology companies] to work more closely with us on end-to-end encryption, so that where there is particular need, where there is targeted need, under warrant, they share more information with us so that we can access it," Rudd told the BBC.

Rudd's Telegraph opinion column says "real people" often prefer flashy features rather than privacy protections. The implication: people with ill intentions, including terrorists, prefer to use messaging services that stop their messages being snooped upon.

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Rudd's statement is inaccurate. Many 'real people' do not want to see their seemingly harmless private information unprotected. In addition, those in sensitive professions and situations – journalists protecting sources, human rights defenders at risk of oppression, and lawyers conducting private discussions – need to keep information safe. As such, Rudd's comments have instantaneously been criticised by campaign groups and privacy advocates. Big Brother Watch said the home secretary's suggestions are "at best naïve, at worst dangerous".

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“Suggesting that people don’t really want security from their online services is frankly insulting, what of those in society who are in dangerous or vulnerable situations, let alone those of us who simply want to protect our communications from breach, hack or cybercrime," Renate Samson, chief executive of Big Brother Watch, said in a statement.

While WhatsApp's privacy record is not perfect – it's being investigated by data protection regulators around the world for its data transfers to Facebook – the use of the encryption protocol allows for messages to be secret unless a mobile device is directly hacked.

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Here are a few groups of 'real people' that regularly use WhatsApp groups to keep their conversations secure. We're pretty sure they wouldn't want the conversations, or at least some of the information in them, to be made public.

People living under oppressive regimes

In 2016, the Guardian published an article incorrectly stating that a backdoor had been discovered in WhatsApp and that it would be possible to access people's messages. In response, security experts and professional cryptographers responded in an open letter asking for the article to be retracted. Within the letter, they explained that those in countries where it isn't possible to speak freely need other ways to do so.

"Activists and journalists communicate a lot with ordinary people, and need to be certain that their messages are communicated as reliably as possible, using the same system as their recipient will use – hence the advantage of WhatsApp with its huge user base," the letter said.

Protesters

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While in many western democracies it is possible to legally protest a decision by officials, in other countries it is dangerous. In Zimbabwe, protesters organised a "national shutdown" of the country through WhatsApp. This was against alleged mismanagement of the nation by the government.

Politicians

The sly, often backstabbing, dealings of the political world are increasingly being conducted within the safe confines of WhatsApp. Foreign secretary Boris Johnson has been shown to be praising Theresa May in a Conservative WhatsApp group and it's likely that plotting also happens. The Guardian reports that politicians know which of their WhatsApp groups they can trust and which there are likely to be leaked from.

Gig economy workers

In London, there has been a spate of attacks on delivery drivers working for the likes of Deliveroo and UberEats. To try and avoid areas of higher risk the moped riders at these firms have setup WhatsApp groups to inform others of potential dangers. The Hackney Gazette has published screenshots from the WhatsApp groups sharing the sensitive information.

Doctors

Sensitive information about the condition of patients and their possible diagnosis is discussed in WhatsApp groups by NHS doctors, one report from the BBC has claimed. While it is illegal to do this, if insecure platforms were used there would be a higher chance of patient information being exposed.

Policing

In India, reports claim that local networks of WhatsApp groups allow people to contact the police and alert them to ongoing crimes.

Threatened residents

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People plagued by burglars in Billericay, Essex, setup their own WhatsApp group to share information about suspicious activity. According to the Basildon Echo, residents were planning on using the secure messaging platform to let people know 'what is going on' and if burglar alarms had been set off. "You can’t live in fear, you have got to try and get on with your life," one resident told the local paper.

Footballers

According to Goal.com, Chelsea footballers who have been loaned out to other clubs have a WhatsApp group where they get information about their performances, and who may be likely to get a call-up to the first team.